


The Message Home

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Gen, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 20:26:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14504823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: Watson is writing to Holmes from the Somme.





	The Message Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for DW's Ficlet_Zone challenge, 'Aid Station'

Early July 1916

My Dear Holmes,

Just a few words in response to your latest letter, which has finally caught up with me.

It is July once more, and I have been thinking of the days when we woke to the dawn chorus, heard birdsong all day long, and at night there was the sound of the owl and the nightingale.

And today I remembered that strange case involving Mr Grant Munro, which led me to recall how well received your Bohemian role had been.  And how we had discussed the case over the breakfast marmalade – do you remember Mrs Hudson commenting on how many orange pips there had been, when she made it?

By the way, I am still of the same opinion I expressed shortly before we met Miss Cushing.

Yours

J H Watson

***

 

Sherlock Holmes read through the brief note and observed the censors had not seen any necessity to delete any of the contents.  Had they been aware of the true nature of the message they would never have let it pass.

For Watson was not writing of birdsong, but of constant artillery fire.  And whilst Holmes had acknowledged his mistake in the case of Mr Grant Munro, and begged Watson to whisper ‘Norbury’ whenever his pride obscured the facts, somehow it seemed unlikely Field Marshal Douglas Haig would be as receptive to such thoughts.

The Bohemian role no doubt referred to his visit to Irene Adler in the guise of a clergyman, and that and the mention of the many orange pips would mean Watson had seen a large number of deaths in the past few days.

As for Watson’s opinion that war was a dreadful way to solve a dispute, so far as Holmes was concerned there was no doubt of the fact.  And yet the doctor would go where he was needed.  Holmes’ fervent hope was that he remain safe and that the east wind would soon blow him home.

 

 

 


End file.
